PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
Question 1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Mental Health and Mental
Illness, DSM-5-TR
Stem: A nursing instructor is reviewing the concept of mental
health with students. The instructor emphasizes that the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth
Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) is an essential tool in
psychiatric care. Which student statement demonstrates an
accurate understanding of its primary purpose and a key
nursing implication?
, • A. "Its primary purpose is to dictate the exact
pharmacological treatment for each disorder, so nurses
must memorize the medication protocols listed."
• B. "It provides standardized diagnostic criteria based on
clusters of symptoms, which helps nurses understand the
clinical basis for a patient's treatment plan and
communicate effectively with the team."
• C. "Its main function is to categorize patients for insurance
billing, and nurses use it primarily to ensure proper
documentation for reimbursement."
• D. "It defines the legal standards for involuntary
commitment, so nurses must use it to determine if a
patient meets the criteria to be held against their will."
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct (B): The DSM-5-TR provides a common language
and standard criteria for the classification of mental
disorders based on specific symptom clusters and duration.
For nurses, this facilitates a shared understanding of a
patient's diagnosis, informs the rationale behind planned
interventions, and supports clear, interdisciplinary
communication, which is foundational to collaborative
care.
• Incorrect (A): The DSM-5-TR describes disorders and
diagnostic criteria; it does not prescribe or dictate specific
, treatments, especially not pharmacological protocols.
Treatment planning is a collaborative, individualized
process that considers many factors beyond the diagnosis
alone.
• Incorrect (C): While diagnostic codes from the DSM-5-TR
are used for billing, this is a secondary function. Its primary
purpose is clinical—to guide assessment, diagnosis, and
treatment. Reducing it to a billing tool misunderstands its
central role in clinical reasoning.
• Incorrect (D): The DSM-5-TR is a diagnostic manual, not a
legal document. Criteria for involuntary commitment (e.g.,
danger to self or others, grave disability) are defined by
state mental health statutes, not the DSM-5-TR.
Teaching Point: The DSM-5-TR standardizes diagnosis; nurses
use it to understand the why behind a treatment plan, not to
prescribe the how.
Question 2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Mental Health and Mental
Illness
Stem: A nurse is orienting to an outpatient mental health clinic.
When discussing the clinic's philosophy, the nurse manager
states, "We view mental health and mental illness as existing on
a dynamic continuum, not as an 'all-or-nothing' state." Which
, subsequent statement by the nurse best reflects the application
of this model in clinical practice?
• A. "This means our primary goal is to help every client
achieve a complete absence of symptoms, or a state of
perfect mental well-being."
• B. "This model helps us understand that a client's level of
functioning can fluctuate over time and that our
interventions should be tailored to where they are on that
continuum today."
• C. "It implies that most people we see are just dealing with
everyday stress and don't actually have a legitimate mental
illness that requires treatment."
• D. "This confirms that psychiatric diagnoses are unreliable
because people move around on the continuum so much."
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct (B): The mental health continuum model
recognizes that individuals can move between states of
well-being, emotional distress, and mental illness
throughout their lives. This understanding is crucial for
nurses, as it promotes individualized, patient-centered care
that meets the client at their current level of need and
avoids a one-size-fits-all approach.
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
Question 1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Mental Health and Mental
Illness, DSM-5-TR
Stem: A nursing instructor is reviewing the concept of mental
health with students. The instructor emphasizes that the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth
Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) is an essential tool in
psychiatric care. Which student statement demonstrates an
accurate understanding of its primary purpose and a key
nursing implication?
, • A. "Its primary purpose is to dictate the exact
pharmacological treatment for each disorder, so nurses
must memorize the medication protocols listed."
• B. "It provides standardized diagnostic criteria based on
clusters of symptoms, which helps nurses understand the
clinical basis for a patient's treatment plan and
communicate effectively with the team."
• C. "Its main function is to categorize patients for insurance
billing, and nurses use it primarily to ensure proper
documentation for reimbursement."
• D. "It defines the legal standards for involuntary
commitment, so nurses must use it to determine if a
patient meets the criteria to be held against their will."
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct (B): The DSM-5-TR provides a common language
and standard criteria for the classification of mental
disorders based on specific symptom clusters and duration.
For nurses, this facilitates a shared understanding of a
patient's diagnosis, informs the rationale behind planned
interventions, and supports clear, interdisciplinary
communication, which is foundational to collaborative
care.
• Incorrect (A): The DSM-5-TR describes disorders and
diagnostic criteria; it does not prescribe or dictate specific
, treatments, especially not pharmacological protocols.
Treatment planning is a collaborative, individualized
process that considers many factors beyond the diagnosis
alone.
• Incorrect (C): While diagnostic codes from the DSM-5-TR
are used for billing, this is a secondary function. Its primary
purpose is clinical—to guide assessment, diagnosis, and
treatment. Reducing it to a billing tool misunderstands its
central role in clinical reasoning.
• Incorrect (D): The DSM-5-TR is a diagnostic manual, not a
legal document. Criteria for involuntary commitment (e.g.,
danger to self or others, grave disability) are defined by
state mental health statutes, not the DSM-5-TR.
Teaching Point: The DSM-5-TR standardizes diagnosis; nurses
use it to understand the why behind a treatment plan, not to
prescribe the how.
Question 2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Mental Health and Mental
Illness
Stem: A nurse is orienting to an outpatient mental health clinic.
When discussing the clinic's philosophy, the nurse manager
states, "We view mental health and mental illness as existing on
a dynamic continuum, not as an 'all-or-nothing' state." Which
, subsequent statement by the nurse best reflects the application
of this model in clinical practice?
• A. "This means our primary goal is to help every client
achieve a complete absence of symptoms, or a state of
perfect mental well-being."
• B. "This model helps us understand that a client's level of
functioning can fluctuate over time and that our
interventions should be tailored to where they are on that
continuum today."
• C. "It implies that most people we see are just dealing with
everyday stress and don't actually have a legitimate mental
illness that requires treatment."
• D. "This confirms that psychiatric diagnoses are unreliable
because people move around on the continuum so much."
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct (B): The mental health continuum model
recognizes that individuals can move between states of
well-being, emotional distress, and mental illness
throughout their lives. This understanding is crucial for
nurses, as it promotes individualized, patient-centered care
that meets the client at their current level of need and
avoids a one-size-fits-all approach.
